Currently....it's OCTOBER!!

Time has gotten away from me.....AGAIN!!!  It is already October (my busiest month in school as I try to squeeze in so much).  I want to link up with Farley and Oh Boy, It's Fourth Grade to reflect on the month past and the month to come.....so here goes:

I tend to let the TV be on in the background for white noise when I am home alone.  I need to make more intentional choices, because I would really like some beautiful music today.  I also need to figure out how to play music on my phone.....wait!....okay....DONE!  Downloaded and playing.  I am not as technology challenged as I thought.

My mom lives all the way across the country from me.  She came out for my nephew's wedding in September, but she had broken her hip right before she came.  We convinced her to stay here and let us take care of her for a few weeks of her rehab.  It was WONDERFUL!!

My mom is Patricia Thomas, a children's book author, so she came to my school and did author visits for almost every class in my school.  I think I wore her out.  She needed to go to my sister's house to recoop from me.

I also blog at PreK and K Sharing and today is my day to post!  YIKES!!  Between school and my mom I let the month of September slip away.  But I am on it!!  You can hop over there to check it out (all about Zombie Eyes and Bat Wings....there is a freebie).

I have THAT class this year.  Seriously.  I am not kidding.  It is taking all my energy, and skill, plus all the brains I can borrow to make things run smoothly in my room.  My golden tickets (which I stole from The Teeny Tiny Teacher) were just not cutting it.  Whole Brain Teaching wasn't quite working either....last week I changed my whole setting arrangement (stinkers are together and workers are together).  That helped for about one day.  But, we are making progress.  I actually think it will help my workers the most.  They deserve my best.  I can't let them suffer because I have so many that do not know how to work or behave.  My little stinkers will come around and see the light...it is just taking time.

My mom was telling me last night that she and my sister were decorating my sister's house.  I was jealous and realized I hadn't even thought about getting my Halloween decorations and autumn things out.  Autumn is my favorite season and putting my things out will be Boo-ti-ful!

The colors and being outside just make me happy!  Have a wonderful October!

Currently..... it's July!

Summer has arrived!!  School is out!  And I am still waiting for the day when there is nothing on my plate.  But that is okay...right now it is all fun things I have planned, company and grandkids, bloggy meetup and conferences.  Part of me wants the nothing to do feeling, it is summer after all, and the other part of me is so excited for all the things that are going on.

Today it is July first and I am trying to squeeze in some blogging before my mom goes home.  I LOVE linking up with Farley of Oh Boy it's Fourth Grade for her monthly currently.  It is always fun to see what everyone is doing, make a new friend or two, and share what is going on in my little corner of the world.

My mom comes every June to Utah and Nevada from Pennsylvania.  She comes and stays with my sister and me.  We travel around, hang out, go shopping, get spoiled, and go to the Shakespeare festival in Cedar City, Utah. 

My mom is a writer and the bard is one of her favorites.  Her trip is never complete without a visit to the festival.  This year did not disappoint!

Then there is the 4th of July...family, we twist arms ask nicely trying to get everyone to come to see us.  

      Then there are friends, a group of us that always hang out together all day long at the city park (we are on second generations now...little kids of the kids we partied with 20 years ago). We have food, games, water fights, crafts, and did I say food? 

My crazy husband, going for a mohawk look last year.

Yes...there is a camper because we stake out our favorite spot the night before.  You can always find us, because of the historical flags.  My husband is a collector and we put them ALL up for the 4th.

At night we break out enough glow sticks that people think we are vendors.  Little small town Elko does a pretty good job of having a fireworks show.  Fun all day long.

Can't wait to read what you are doing for the 4th! 

Currently...It's almost Mother's Day

Oh. My. Goodness....it is May!  When did that happen?  This spring is flying by, and school is almost done, but first is is time to join up with  Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for this month's installment of currently.

Don't know how much explaination each of these need, but in the spirit of full disclouser here goes:

Listening:  I am a granola loving, wanta be hippie, outside and barefoot all the time from the 70's and John Denver brings back good memories.  He has always kept me motivated and grounded in doing what is best.

Loving:  One of "my" children had a beautiful baby boy this week.  Absolutely the sweetest thing and the snuggle time was just what I needed.

Indescribable bliss!  Now I can't wait to meet my newest granddaughter later this month!!

Thinking:  Mother's Day is so close and I have so many mothers I want to honor.  I need to get busy honoring my own mother, my daughters and daughters-in-law, several other daughters from other mothers, and some really good friends and family members.  The list is getting long and I am starting to panic.  Then there is stuff to do with my Kinders....so many ideas, so little time.

Painting tulips with forks.

Wanting:  I am guest blogging at PreK and K Sharing (today) and I can't seem to get my act together.  The plan is to blog about the about the bath salts we are making this week in my Kindergarten classroom.

       Update....finished my post for PreK and K Sharing.  If you want my bath salts recipe head over there (just click on the picture)

   Needing:  Sometimes I just need someone to tell me that what I am doing is right and good, or even a you can do this (if I haven't yet started).  I think I need that today.

Surprise!!  That brings me to Nikki Casassa from Melonheadz Illustrating.

If you have seen her "stuff" you know how talented she is.  Amazing!!  But if you have met her, or talked to her then you know that she is truly an Angel here on earth.  More than once we have been chatting online and she has solved my problem, given me the encouragement I needed, or the kick in the butt.  I love her so much and she is an inspiration!

Here's to a GREAT month!!

Currently....it's a fresh start

I love the first Day of the month because it's Currently time!!  Time to link up with Farley at Oh Boy Fourth Grade and see what every one is doing.

Most everything is self explanatory.  I love Christmas, my decorations, the quiet and peaceful feeling when I am sitting at night or early morning and the only light is from the tree and whatever candles I happen to light.  On Christmas Eve, we break out every oil lamp I can find and read and sing the Christmas story from the bible.  On Christmas Eve I also light a bayberry candle (an ode to my mother and our New England traditions). 

New Year's Day has always been about the parades for me.  Growing up it was the Mummer's Parade in Philadelphia and since I moved west the Rose Parade has become important.  Our small town high school band has been three times.  Twice I have gone as a chaperone.  I loved it!  So now we check it out every January 1st.

I have a long list of projects I wanted to accomplish over Christmas break.  Most of them are related to my New Year Goal of living more simply.  I need to hurry though....time is slipping by and I do not have much checked off my list.

What are you currently up to?

Currently...it's November

I survived last week and now it is November!  I think this might be my favorite month.  I love all things Thanksgiving....turkey, history, pretending, autumn colors, trees, my birthday.  I love making the time to remember to say Thank you for all the blessings in my life.  So what am I currently doing??  I am linking up with Farley of Oh Boy Fourth Grade!

First....I love the Hallmark Channel during the holidays.  I love the sappy movies.  I love that they run all night long, so when I am up in the night because I can't sleep there is a movie to help.  I love that they are sappy enough I don't really have to pay attention, and they keep me company when I am cleaning or working.  Some of them are really good and they touch my heart.

 I LOVE my family!  I have the best husband ever!!  I love all my kids and the spouses they have chosen.  I love the children they are raising.  I love my sister, who thankfully, lives close.  My brothers and their families have to be on that list too.  But this month I especially love my mom.  She is brilliant and loving and the best role model any daughter could ask for.   She is an author and her new book is coming out this month.  She is having surgery and I am lucky enough to be able to go and help while she is recovering.

Consequently, I have a LOT to do.  I have school stuff...grades, parent teacher conferences, sub plans, reorganize my room a bit so a sub can find things for the 2 1/2 weeks I am gone (I am never gone that long...not sure how much to plan), home stuff....packing, getting the house ready for my poor husband to be alone (I know he's a big boy and very capable, but I  feel guilty and want him to know how much I love him), and then there is my mom stuff...what should I take to her?  Is there anything I need to bring from here, or can get taken care of before I get on the plane?

I am starting a new chapter in my blogging journey this week.  I am going to be a regular blogger at PreK + K Sharing and I am so nervous that I will not be as good as the other bloggers who contribute there.  They are great!!  You should stop by.  It is a very eclectic group and the collective knowledge is amazing. 

 

Of course I wish I was better at many things...home, school, blogging, I always second guess my abilities (and there is one of the reasons I love my family, they lift me up).  Do you do that?  Grades are the first thing on my agenda this weekend.  I really NEED to get them done!  I want them to be so organized.  I want to be able to conference with my student's parents and really talk to them about each individual child.  I wish I was better at organizing at the beginning of the term.  I am stuck taking all my data (some on various sticky notes, no...I am not that bad) and putting it all on the standards based grading sheets I made.  Once on those grading sheets entering into powerschool should be a piece of cake.

Last my pin....I think I should treat myself with this.  I have made it several times and it is the yummiest thing I have ever pinned.

Nutella Cheesecake

I can't leave you with just one...this is for the healthy side.

Roasted Summer Vegetables

Did you make it to the end?  Then here is a November Thank you gift from me...Hide Turkey Hide.  I created this to play with positional words with my kinder kids.  Enjoy!!

Currently it's August....Yikes!

WHAT!!!!  It's August!!!  Where is my summer?  I know I can hear the crickets every evening when I go to bed, their chirping only sad because it reminds me summer is coming to a close.  On the bright side it is time for Farley in Oh Boy Fourth Grade's link up for Currently...so here goes.

First, the house that is so quiet is not mine.  I am waking up in my daughter's house in Utah and she, her sweet, just turned 2 yesterday, daughter, and my husband are all sleeping, so I am sneaking on to my computer to tell you about everything.  I love Currently!

Not only do we have a birthday party this weekend, my husband and I are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary.  Yes your math is correct...1978.  That was a big year for me, graduated from college, got married, started teaching.  Love that my journey has included this wonderful man.  He is, dare I say, awesome!  I just love hanging out with him every day.

Yesterday was the Utah Blogger Meet-Up.  I may live in Nevada...but driving 240 miles to Utah is no big deal.  We do it all the time (since we are in the middle of nowhere and must get somewhere to get most everything).  Coming to Utah for this meet-up was a big deal for me.  I have been chatting and blog stalking some of these ladies for years (some didn't know it but they were some of the first blogs I started following two years ago).  To meet them in real life was as awesome as I had imagined.  They were all just as sweet as you would think from reading their blogs.  There were new friends to meet too.  Just all around good fun.  I was honored to be invited.

Do you recognize Natalie and Rachelle from What a Teacher Wants, Nikki from Melonheadz, Lindsey from The Teacher Wife, Krystal from The Good Enough Teacher, Melissa from Dilly Dabbles.  Lots of new friends too.

Do I have to say anything about this?  Summer is never long enough!  I have been having lots of little adventure days with grandkids and I have gotten to do something with all of them...even if it wasn't all at the same time.  I even had a chance to have a "Grandma Camp".  Fun, Fun, Fun...and I am not ready to give all that up.

BUT....this is waiting

and many other things on my to do list.  August will have to be all about getting projects done and my classroom ready.

What do I need for back to school?  It doesn't seem like the year can start without a new set of markers.  My favorite are Sharpies in all colors, thick and thin.  I also love Sharpie highlighters for drawing smiley faces on kiddos papers.  I gotta have a new set (just like opening a new box of crayons).  Then there is always what do I wear the first day?  I am not sure it will be new...but I do spend a lot of time picking it out.  In Kindergarten someone told me to wear the same thing to meet the teacher day as you will on the forst day of school.  That way the students recognize you.  I thought that was a great idea...so I did.  Yup, it does help some students find you again on that very busy and crowded first day.

Back to School sales....I shop the heck out of them.  Am I the only one that buys supplies for my students?  I think not...but I buy for the whole year right now.  Need new crayons at Christmas?  Buy them now (they will never be .25 or .50 again until next August).  I also get TONS of 3 prong folders, dry erase markers, glue sticks, notebooks, and things for my parent communication binders.  Limits??  I bring my grandkids with me (it's nice to have a posse), or just go back through the line again and again.

Well....it is starting to get noisy.  I am off on an adventure!

December Currently and more Pete

I love the beginning of each month because it is time to hook up Farley at Oh' Boy Fourth Grade for December's Currently.  It is so fun to see what everybody's doing.

My hubby gets up way early...so it is always an early night at our house.  I am beginning to think that he might need help for the snoring.  I think it is getting worse.

I love Christmas time, I love decorating, I love doing craftivities in my classroom.  I try to do something Christmasy at home every day...one day put candles in my window, one do some baking, one day go look at lights, one day....you get the idea.  I make a bucket list of everything I want to do and see how many I can cross off.  Some are for me, some are giving to others, some are Santa, some are Christ-centered.

This past weekend My daughter and family came to town.  Add to that the kids that are already here and I had 7 of my 10 grandkids here (and the other 3 were just here over Thanksgiving).  We went up to our favorite spot to find the perfect Christmas tree.   Always sooo much fun! 

Now I'm thinking...wait it's Wednesday and I was just waiting for these cute pictures of tree hunting.  I better get this posted!!

I was going to call the carpet guy to come before Thanksgiving...but somehow that never happened.  It looks like the next time my carpet gets cleaned will be spring cleaning time.  Hopefully with my Christmas tree no one notices. 

I am planning on doing Miss Kindergarten's Santa (you can get it here) and using that for one of my hallway bulletin boards this month.  I was going to do it yesterday, but realized that I didn't have the pieces prepped.  So it was on to plan B...actually part A (the writing part).  We took long enough doing the writing that we really didn't have time for the craftivity part anyway.  So I am off to school early to cut, cut, cut and run some parts off (our copy machine that does construction paper is very sensitive...wish me luck).

But first...I am stopping at Starbucks for coffee.  I know nothing about coffee.  Maybe I will get hot chocolate instead.  My coworkers love coffee and occasionally indulge in fancy coffee, so I think my random act of kindness will involve coffee.

Did you make it with me this far?  I had so much fun remaking my Don't Eat Pete game for Christmas I made some more with different graphics.  If you want the elf version click on the picture below.